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Black Company, The
Category:Roleplaying Guilds Category:PvP-Focused Roleplaying Guilds Category:The Black Company General Information __NOEDITSECTION__ __TOC__ = The Black Company Charter = Guild Mission We are a mercenary guild which seeks lucrative commissions for precision military operations, maintaining a constant state of readiness for combat and secondary functions of a mobile expeditionary force. We accept payment from players for doing anything our Employer's have no wish to do themselves, provided it is based in War. Throughout the years, we have enjoyed many successful contractual relationships within the player communities, expanding both user created content and our own coffers. Given the special nature of Age of Conan and the number of mercenary guilds to be found, we maintain our Annals with all aspects of notable content. All major events will be labeled a “Commission”, from hunting unique monsters to spur of the moment sieges or anything else that involves a significant number of Company participants. Method of Operations We are a guild based massive multi player online role playing (MMORPG) gaming organization that has taken the setting of Glen Cook's The Black Company series, to establish a militant, mercenary methodology for recreation and immersion within a fantasy based virtual world. Chain of Command The Black Company uses a military based Chain of Command (CoC) based on the ranks detailed in the works of Glen Cook, with squad based fireteams for combat. The Captain - Mocker - The Head of the Company aka Guild Leader. Duties include assignment of Officer Corps, Commissions, Recruitment, General Policy, Training and Events Schedule. While it is not uncommon for the Captain to be referred to by their actual name, most Brothers, out of respect for Brother and Title, simply addresses him/her as "The Captain", "Captain", "Cap'n", "Cap", or any other derivative. The Standardbearer - Kithid - Hand Picked by the Captain to a Bodyguard. The Primary Duty is to be the Keeper of the Company Standard, a black Lance of purported magical properties upon which is hung the Death's Head insignia adopted from the Taken, Soulcatcher. Most often called "SB" or "The SB". The Lieutenant - Hanibal - Second In Command. Duties include Training and Events Schedule, Division Organization, Recruitment, Siege Specialist. While it is not uncommon for the Lieutenant to be referred to by their actual name, most Brothers, out of respect for Brother and Title, simply addresses him/her as "The Lieutenant", "Lt", or any other derivative. Infantry Division Commander (IDC) - Jackroller - Head of the Infantry Division (ID). Duties include but not limited to the assignment of ID Master Sergeant, Division Recruitment, Training and Events Schedule, Equipment Issue and Maintenance. The IDC will coordinate with the Supply Division Commander (SDC) to arrange for all missions required to obtain materials for manufacturing. The IDC will coordinate all pvp training for a constant state of readiness. Supply Division Commander (SDC) - Bastet - Duties include but not limited to the assignment of SD Master Sergeant, Division Recruitment, Training and Events Schedule, Equipment Issue and Maintenance. The SDC will coordinate with the IDC to arrange for all missions required to obtain materials for equipment manufacturing. The SDC will arrange for all storage of Company assets as well as distribution to applicable personnel. Master Sergeants - Unassigned - Assist Division Commander in all Duties as necessary; Team and Battle Coordinator for both combat and logistical efforts. (Often referred to as Top, but only by those Brothers in good graces) Sergeant - Unassigned - Squad Leader to Assist Master Sergeant in All Duties as called upon. A squad leader in combat. Brother - Regular Company Members. The Backbone of the Company, doing what needs to get done. All Brothers listed under this heading have earned their Full Colors. Earning your Colors means you have proven yourself to be a dedicated Black Company Regular, making the Company your Home. There is no set time limit for when this will happen. You must earn this Privilege through blood, sweat, and tears, on the field of battle or the blaze of the forge. Recruits - the FNG's (fuggin new guy), here to learn and to become. Recruitment Recruitment is currently open for pre-release. There are only two main tenets needed to apply, though you will need to demonstrate profound worth to the Company and your prospective Brothers to be considered for actual acceptance. :1. Be at Least 21 years of Age. While we realize there are many extremely mature teenagers and 20 year olds, we have to draw a clear line in the sand in order to meet the social standards set by a largely older 20's to 30+'something aged guild. Active Real Life Military are excluded from the 21 year rule. :2. Read the Charter. Should you decide you like what you see, register with your in game, main character name and Create a New Post in this section to introduce yourself, using the options for format listed in the charter (linked above). If you are considered for acceptance, you will go through a interview process where, aside from the mundane details found in most interviews, you will be asked a series of hypothetical combat scenarios and prompted for your response. There is no "right" answer, this is merely a means of checking your cognitive reasoning methods. Trying to answer what you think we want to hear is strongly discouraged, being that its very easy to spot and probably will do more harm than good. When the interview is done, the Full Brothers will all be allowed to weigh in on your value to the Company, and a vote will be put to the Company. Upon acceptance you will be recognized for your achievement and welcomed home; then begins the training. Charter The official version of our Charter, which details our Mission, Method of Operation, History, Chain of Command, and Recruiting can be found at The Black Company Headquarters (TBCHQ) here. = The Black Company Details = Lore Playing The Black Company is not a standard "Role Playing" guild; we do not require nor expect people to develop some fictional character to represent their in-game avatar. Instead, The Black Company focuses on Lore Playing, which in turn focuses on a "bigger picture" type of roleplaying. What this means is that we are following the basic ideas set down by Glen Cook in his novels on The Black Company. What does this mean for you, the Brother? You can be yourself; you are a member of the Company, and we are not interested in "Gabdalorf, the mighty Demonologist" but rather you being yourself through your Avatar. You are welcome, and encouraged, to create whatever back story for yourself or your character you wish; these stories are kept in our Annals, a series of journals documenting the history of the Company. Here we also keep details about our battles, both wins and loses, and the activities that comprise our day to day playing. Voice Communication The Black Company does no utilize any type of voice communication, and this is a determined move on our part. We do not want to have to rely on poorly worded communications during times of hectic combat as a means to victory; rather, we practice strategy and combat tactics so that no communications are needed that cannot be typed out. In short, we rely on skill, not add-ons or out-of-game tricks for our victory in battle. The Black Company does have a dedicated chat channel on the website, which we use for chatting and enjoying one another's company and humor. For battle, however, we generally abstain from the need for mid-battle communication. Guild Mentality As the names for our members suggest, The Black Company is a family. That does not mean we let our children play, rather what it means is that we are always, always, always watching out for one another. No one will ever be left to suffer on their own. While this does not mean we will hold your hand through questing or low-level dungeons, what it does mean is that no griefer, camper, or otherwise hostile individual will ever get away with attacking a Brother. Let it be known that if you attack someone in The Black Company, you best have an army at your beck and call, because we are coming. Also keep in mind that The Black Company is a mercenary guild, and we act as such. Expect a certain amount of vulgarity and crude language as part and parcel of being in a military-based organization. Thick skin will get you a long ways, not because we are ever overtly hostile to another Brother, but rather because one person's humor is another person's soft-spot. Training If you are looking to join The Black Company, expect to undergo training. We understand that by not using voice communication we are putting ourselves at an initial disadvantage, but that is countered by the skill and adaptivity we develop in battle. These things, however, require that we drill ourselves. We will do mock battles, combat formations, combat maneuvers, point defense, ambush tactics, and anything else you can think of until we can act as a group without a word needing to be typed at all. That being said, we understand that real-life must come first. We do not expect IV drips and bedpans, but we do expect some sort of consistent participation. Make sure you can work our training and combat into your schedule before looking to apply. Recent News The Black Company was recently the "Weekly Feature" of the Cimmeria wiki! Congratulations to the Brothers for their hard work and dedication! The Black Company was recently interviewed on IGN's "The Conan Times" about our guild and ideals for gameplay. Check it out here.